Presiding over the illumination at the top is the American Bald Eagle, the most immediately recognizable symbol of freedom and power for the United States. Szyk positions two portraits in proximity to the eagle, one of a black man and the other a native American both of whom have long struggled to experience these rights.
The sailor and soldier, the earliest members of the armed forces, have been steadfast in preserving the American dream of freedom. The farmer and the industrial worker developed the land, that in time supported the factory, which in turn advanced the growth of the American industrial economy.
The omnipresent water represents the abundance of natural resources available to the nation. The symbolism of the dam, the river, and the bridge, incorporates water as a life giving source of energy, transportation and recreation. The railroads opened the West, then united the country from coast to coast. The industrial age was born and new cities arose.
The Pony Express, though only operational for a few months, symbolized to Szyk the perseverance, endurance and plain will to accomplish. He also saw it as a prelude to modem air travel which carried the American dream into the twentieth century. Intertwined within the background are the beaver, buffalo, squirrel, and bear—each a cohabitant with the human population of the country and an integral part of the American fabric.
